Can micro data centers power the Internet of Things?

Standardization and prefabrication will be a key to ensuring reliability, lower cost, and enhanced serviceability, all achieved through economies of scale, for hundreds of micro data centers situated across large cities.

Two decades ago, the industry buzzed with all things about the Internet. Since then, the widespread adoption of the Internet in business, government, and society as a whole, coupled with the proliferation of mobile technologies, has generated roughly 50 petabytes of data in the world today.

This new age of “Big Data” is mainly a human byproduct: through typing and texting, pressing video record or picture buttons, or scanning bar codes in retail settings.

Today’s buzz is the Internet of Things (IoT), which makes it possible for devices, systems, and services to connect wirelessly beyond traditional M2M (machine to machine), enabling them to generate new data without human action required. Examples include vending machines, new wearable technologies, and the billions of devices in the marketplace.

How will IoT change the data center market?
IoT is having a transformational effect. The current model where a single large data center thousands of miles away processes and distributes all data from all over the world is likely to be inefficient in the near future. One way to make processing of large quantities of IoT data in real time technically and economically viable is to locate data centers closer to the data source. This will also help to ensure security, capacity, and speed (reduced latency).

How can this work? In his recent blog post, “Are micro data centers the engine to power the Internet of Things?,” Steven Carlini, senior director, Data Center Global Solutions for Schneider Electric™, suggests that micro data centers located closer to where the people are may help to support real time data needs. He goes on to explain that standardization and prefabrication will be a key to ensuring reliability, lower cost, and enhanced serviceability, all achieved through economies of scale, for hundreds of micro data centers situated across large cities.